Posts by silverharbor18

So, I went in for surgery to actually be able to breathe—the issue wasn't even primarily the septum, but more about the... pyramid, the nostrils? Whatever those 🤷 are called—to fix the valve area. Now, after a year and a half of waiting for things to settle, I’m breathing even harder than before!
In the last six months, I’ve gone back for two check-ups (with the legendary Slaven Bilić 😠, if anyone cares) just to tell him how bad things are: my nostrils are even more concave now, they're incredibly thick, and not only do they still collapse when I inhale, but that thickening makes the passage even narrower, making breathing even tougher. There's this bump in my left nostril that you can feel by touch and even see as a bulge on the outside (probably from a poorly handled septum), and that side bleeds whenever I blow my nose. Overall, it's worse than before. And aesthetically? They "fixed" it, sure, but I actually liked my old nose better, lumps and all. This one looks way too "mainstream," haha 😛 (though obviously, the cosmetic correction is the only thing that actually worked, so they point to that and claim the nose is totally fine)
And the doctor tells me: "I think you're overthinking the nose... everything is fine, I don't see any issues... you're just breathing through your mouth " (WTF?!? Is he being serious??)... "just focus on some other part of your body and you'll forget about the nose" (YES, HE ACTUALLY SAID THAT!!)
And don't even get me started on his "medical reports" 🤦
I tell him one thing, and he writes something completely different in the report! For example: I say the condition is worse than before and I'm dissatisfied; he writes "subjectively good." I complain about my nostrils collapsing during NORMAL inhalation; he writes "partial nasal collapse during forced inspiration." I point out the bump in my left nostril and the bleeding; he takes a half-hearted look inside and says "I see no irregularities." I tell him my nose is constantly full of sticky, uhm, nasal secretions that I often can't even blow out and have to pull out with a tissue; he writes "occasional increased nasal secretion" 🙂. In the end, it's my word against his! It's like because he's the doctor, he's always right, and I'm just some imaginary patient or a hypochondriac who has nothing better to do than trek to appointments because, stupid me, I actually want to breathe through my nose instead of my mouth! 😠

Anyway, since I can't count on this doctor to honestly look me in the eye and tell me what's going on (and I know, and I feel it, and he knows the surgery failed to improve functionality, but he won't admit it), I've decided to get a second opinion
Apparently, the ENT department at the local University Hospital is supposed to be great. Does anyone have experience or a recommendation for a doctor there?
(I just hope they don't dump me with some random person—obviously whoever has the least work—meaning, the worst one)

I can't tell if it’s just the adjustment period or the Zoloft, but the drowsiness is getting unreal. I’ve already drifted off for a nap three times today—each one lasting about an hour and a half.
I've been on it for a week now, and (so far) there aren't any other side effects, except that for the last two or three days, I've been practically begging to pass out every couple of hours. 🙂

Yeah, I get it—I'm gradually starting on Zoloft (quarter pill, then half, then the whole thing), while simultaneously tapering off my Celexa (half, then a quarter). The final dose should be 50mg (hopefully)—that's why I mentioned the dosage in my last post.
My psychiatrist was a bit hesitant at first, basically mulling it over under his breath, but we ended up sticking to this plan (just, I'm certainly not craving more, haha), so for now, there aren't any other meds alongside the Zoloft.

Maria Gomez6 said:Hi everyone.
I was wondering if anyone here has experience using Celexa for depression. Does it actually tend to have fewer side effects compared to other antidepressants on the market?

Okay, this is honestly from way back, but I'm going to answer anyway—mostly because when I was looking into this myself, I couldn't find much helpful info online.
I've been on Celexa 20 mg for about a year and a half (though not all at once), and yeah, I can say there aren't any massive side effects—but at the same time (just speaking for myself), I haven't really felt much of a shift either.
In the beginning, it seemed to work, or maybe that's just my perception—perhaps it was a placebo effect, or maybe the dose just became too low over time... regardless, for a long while now, I've noticed that whether I'm taking it or not, I'm functioning more or less the same.
At one point, I stopped taking it for about 5 or 6 months and I felt totally fine. Due to a series of circumstances, I quit cold turkey without tapering off—and everything went okay, even without consulting my psychiatrist. Then, when things took a turn for the worse six months later, I started it up again—again, abruptly, without gradually increasing the dose. Both the starting and the stopping passed without any side effects.
The only consistent side effect I've noticed since starting is significantly reduced concentration (which is listed on the label as a side effect) and memory issues (which usually go hand-in-hand). And early on, I actually lost some weight from it 😬 But unfortunately, during that break, those few pounds came right back, and they brought along some extra weight that didn't leave when I restarted... ugh.

Along with the Celexa, they tried to put me on Eglonyl during my "evaluation" at the Mayo Clinic for outpatient treatment, but I never actually started it... apparently, that stuff makes you gain weight like crazy. And given my workload combined with depression, the last thing I need is a bloated body! I'll be at my wit's end 🤣

Enivay, since there hasn't been an effect, my doctor pulled me off Celexa and switched me to Zoloft (50mg), which I start in two weeks after I gradually taper off the Celexa.
So now I'm immediately curious—what are people's experiences with that? I know it's individual, but still... what's the consensus?
And apparently, you lose weight on 😁, so I'm really interested to hear...
So, yeah, did I already ask about experiences? hehe

Once I finally accepted the reality of my hemorrhoid situation—I mean, there's no denying it; it hurts, there's bleeding, it's clearly both internal and external—I decided it was time to grab some cream. Honestly, I wasn't exactly itching to discuss this specific issue with my doctor. At the pharmacy, the clerk recommended Fact ointment, which comes with an applicator, awwww, so convenient.
So, I gave it a shot... and I have to say, the cream is great. No pain, no bleeding, and it’s obvious why—I hadn't even had a bowel movement yet!
Basically, during those four days of using the cream, I didn't poop at all, nothing at all 😕
Interestingly enough, once I realized this wasn't going to work and stopped applying it, the very next day... well, everything came out at once and it was inhumane! I think you can just imagine how that went; you eat normally for four days and then nothing happens, and then—U-G-H 😲

Naturally, I thought it was weird, so I asked the pharmacist how such a silly "side effect" was even possible. She just stared at me with wide eyes, looking totally bewildered, claiming she'd never heard anything like it before. Truly, the whole situation is ridiculous (and kind of funny), and I have no clue why it happened that way—maybe some psychological effect or something? 🤷

Anyway, I haven't used any more topical treatments since then. But I am still mentally preparing myself to actually go see the doctor. 😢

Kate Taylor59 said:but from what I can tell... you were at a public hospital, and things work differently at private clinics...

What would actually be different? Whether you go to a private specialist or a public hospital, the anatomy of the nose stays exactly the same, right? Same goes for its ability to heal... the ONLY variable is the surgeon—that's just how it is. 🙄
If rustygardener172 went to a private clinic and had the packing removed in less than 24 hours, then that's clearly just the private clinic's protocol—my aunt went to a private facility too and had her packing in for seven days!
As for why my nose didn't quite pull through (on the first try)... well, damn, future private doctors need something to practice on, I guess. 🤣 Maybe I was just destined to see that specific doctor (who, coincidentally, is supposedly excellent), but who knows what they're actually doing in these hospitals while you're knocked out under anesthesia 🙂

rustygardener172 said:Thanks. Honestly, I feel the same about my nose—😍 😍 😍 😍

Well, for me, absolutely nooooooooonneeeeee 😢
I actually preferred my old one—and honestly, I could breathe better before than I can now. But hey, it’s not over yet, right? They told me recovery can take up to two years and the shape can still shift during that time.

@rustygardener172/">@@rustygardener172, regarding your question—it was the septum and the pyramid. Apparently, they needed to address the alae because they were super concave and collapsing just from normal breathing. But looking at my discharge papers now, it only lists operatio septi nasi functionalis and correctio pyramidis nasi. My surgeon mentioned something about flipping the cartilage under the wings to keep the nostrils open, since I couldn't even get a decent breath before—my nostrils were basically flattened and my nose was practically shut. After the surgery, while everything was still swollen, the nostrils didn't look sunken, but now that the swelling has gone down, they've returned to that original concavity and slight collapse. 🤷
And don't even get me started on the constant congestion—plus, I have this weird little lump inside my left nasal passage. If I touch it, it feels like something is wedged diagonally between the septum and the nostril. And the doctor's response? He said it's totally fine and normal?! Like, "Oh, we broke your nose, blah blah blah, give it time, blah blah blah," but the thing isn't moving at all. It feels like a tiny piece of cartilage detached and is just stuck there at an angle.

Someone asked if I'd do it again, and my answer is a hard NO! The absolute worst part was those few days with the packing in my nose—you can't drink, you can't swallow, you can't talk, you can't breathe... nothing!
Though, from what I've heard, it’s not exactly rare to go back for a second or even a third revision before you finally get a result you're happy with.
Btw, has anyone else dealt with something like this?

I have... a question. Actually, more of a problem.
(I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this—I didn't have the energy to slog through 223 pages)

I had nose surgery almost 6 months ago, and everything is mostly fine now, except for one thing—the mucus! It’s driving me insane. My nose is constantly stuffed up with mucus that I can't blow out normally; the only way it works is if I irrigate my nose with a saline spray, otherwise, I practically have to pull it out with a Q-tip (with a bit of tissue on the end, obviously... standard Q-tips are too thick to use for cleaning). I can't even describe it properly. It's weird; it wasn't like this before. It's... unusually sticky. The best comparison would be white meat—you know how chicken feels under your fingers, that strange stickiness? Well, imagine cutting that white meat into thin, tiny strips—that is exactly what my mucus is like.
When I was last in for a checkup 3 months ago, the doctor said everything looked great and that I didn't need to come back anymore (unless I felt like it, and I think I'll definitely be showing up soon).
A friend of mine, who happens to be a veterinarian, asked me how long I was on antibiotics after the surgery when I told her about this mucus situation—they didn't give me any antibiotics at all. She lost her mind; she couldn't believe they would operate on me and not prescribe antibiotics afterward (when they operate on animals, they always follow up with antibiotics). Is this because of some weird bacteria that are adding "ingredient X" to my mucus, or is the membrane just not fully healed yet, or what the hell? :/
I don't know, does anyone have any suggestions, advice, or similar experiences?

btw, @rustygardener172/">@@rustygardener172, you really are a princess!
Imagine being scheduled for surgery in 2 months—.-' I waited a year and a half for my surgery at the VA, and that's including the first 3 months just waiting for an initial exam.
That's probably why my nose is in this state now, since I went through the public health system! woohoo 😁